Published: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 5:06 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 5:06 p.m.

DENTON | Heavy downpours and consistent drizzle didn't stop people from attending the opening day of the 43rd Southeast Old Threshers' Reunion.

Facts

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The 43rd Southeast Old Threshers' Reunion continues through Saturday at the Denton FarmPark on Cranford Road. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The cost for each day is $14 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under and free for preschool age.

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The five-day event, held at the Denton FarmPark on Cranford Road, cranked up Tuesday with a steady crowd making its way through the festivities. The event, featuring steam engines and nearly 1,000 antique tractors, concludes Saturday.

"They showed up much better than I anticipated," Brown Loflin, founder of the reunion, said of Tuesday's crowds.

Loflin established the event in 1970 with airplane rides and a demonstration of wheat threshing as a way to raise money for the Denton unit of the Davidson County Rescue Squad. Little did Loflin know that more than four decades later the five-day event would attract an estimated 55,000 to 60,000 people each year.

"It's been a real life-learning experience to this thing," he said. "So many things we started doing that we never knew how to do and what to do. We would get some tools and go to work and figure it out as we would go along, trying to put things together like steam engines, gas engines, tractors and locomotives."

Greta Lint, spokeswoman for the Threshers' Reunion, said people started to filter in when the gates opened at 8 a.m. As skies began to clear up and the heavy rain began to go away late Tuesday morning, more and more people made their way into the event.

Two of the people who attended Tuesday were Dustin Shields of Colfax and Brandon Taylor of Archdale. They each brought their antique tractors to display. Shields showed his tractor for the first time at the Threshers' Reunion, and Taylor has brought his for the past four or five years.

"I like it," Shields said of the event. "It's a good time."

"The show gets better each year — more tractors, more exhibits to look at," Taylor added.

Michael Houston of Georgia attended the opening day with his two children. He used to live in Thomasville but moved to Georgia in 2002. With the move, he's still managed to visit the Threshers' Reunion for the past 27 years.

"Tradition, letting my kids do the same thing we got to do whenever we were kids," Houston said of why he returns to the Threshers' Reunion.

Barker Edwards is from Clayton. He served as a supervisor Tuesday overseeing two steam tractors, which are being used this week for daily demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Edwards has been involved as a staff member for the Threshers' Reunion for 28 years.

"I just enjoy steam," he said. "I've always enjoyed steam engines. It's the joy of seeing old equipment being operated."

Not only did Tuesday's event include tractors and steam engines on display, it included a Border Collie demonstration that featured a dog herding sheep. The demonstration continued Tuesday morning even through hard rain with people taking shelter nearby under buildings as they continued to look on.

The Threshers' Reunion also consists of several other demonstrations, live music and food. The cost for each day is $14 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under and free for preschool age. The children's area, which includes inflatables, is free this year. There will be no fireworks at the event on the Fourth of July, but there will be a fireworks show at 9 p.m. Saturday. The event is open daily from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

For more information, visit farmpark.com or the Denton FarmPark's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dentonfarmpark?ref=ts&fref=ts.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>DENTON | Heavy downpours and consistent drizzle didn't stop people from attending the opening day of the 43rd Southeast Old Threshers' Reunion.</p><p>The five-day event, held at the Denton FarmPark on Cranford Road, cranked up Tuesday with a steady crowd making its way through the festivities. The event, featuring steam engines and nearly 1,000 antique tractors, concludes Saturday.</p><p>"They showed up much better than I anticipated," Brown Loflin, founder of the reunion, said of Tuesday's crowds.</p><p>Loflin established the event in 1970 with airplane rides and a demonstration of wheat threshing as a way to raise money for the Denton unit of the Davidson County Rescue Squad. Little did Loflin know that more than four decades later the five-day event would attract an estimated 55,000 to 60,000 people each year.</p><p>"It's been a real life-learning experience to this thing," he said. "So many things we started doing that we never knew how to do and what to do. We would get some tools and go to work and figure it out as we would go along, trying to put things together like steam engines, gas engines, tractors and locomotives."</p><p>Greta Lint, spokeswoman for the Threshers' Reunion, said people started to filter in when the gates opened at 8 a.m. As skies began to clear up and the heavy rain began to go away late Tuesday morning, more and more people made their way into the event.</p><p>Two of the people who attended Tuesday were Dustin Shields of Colfax and Brandon Taylor of Archdale. They each brought their antique tractors to display. Shields showed his tractor for the first time at the Threshers' Reunion, and Taylor has brought his for the past four or five years.</p><p>"I like it," Shields said of the event. "It's a good time."</p><p>"The show gets better each year — more tractors, more exhibits to look at," Taylor added.</p><p>Michael Houston of Georgia attended the opening day with his two children. He used to live in Thomasville but moved to Georgia in 2002. With the move, he's still managed to visit the Threshers' Reunion for the past 27 years.</p><p>"Tradition, letting my kids do the same thing we got to do whenever we were kids," Houston said of why he returns to the Threshers' Reunion.</p><p>Barker Edwards is from Clayton. He served as a supervisor Tuesday overseeing two steam tractors, which are being used this week for daily demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Edwards has been involved as a staff member for the Threshers' Reunion for 28 years.</p><p>"I just enjoy steam," he said. "I've always enjoyed steam engines. It's the joy of seeing old equipment being operated."</p><p>Not only did Tuesday's event include tractors and steam engines on display, it included a Border Collie demonstration that featured a dog herding sheep. The demonstration continued Tuesday morning even through hard rain with people taking shelter nearby under buildings as they continued to look on.</p><p>The Threshers' Reunion also consists of several other demonstrations, live music and food. The cost for each day is $14 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under and free for preschool age. The children's area, which includes inflatables, is free this year. There will be no fireworks at the event on the Fourth of July, but there will be a fireworks show at 9 p.m. Saturday. The event is open daily from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.</p><p>For more information, visit farmpark.com or the Denton FarmPark's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dentonfarmpark?ref=ts&fref=ts.</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>